Betaine Boosts Protein Synthesis

There are performance-oriented sports nutrition products that include betaine as one of the primary ingredients. Originally discovered in sugar beets, this organic compound can also be found in quinoa and spinach. In supplemental form, a dose of 1.25 grams per day was given to weight trained men in their early 20s for 2 weeks before acute exercise. The results were published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

After undergoing an intense exercise session, compared to the placebo group, subjects who supplemented with betaine showed higher levels of natural growth hormone and IGF-1. In addition, they had significantly decreased levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol. There were no differences in insulin levels.

True Strength Moment: From this study, it appears that daily betaine supplementation might help increase protein synthesis, which is important to muscle growth and maintenance. If you're looking for an everyday muscle builder that includes betaine along with a number of other ingredients to help promote recovery from intense training, ON's Platinum Hydrobuilder contains 2.5 grams of natural betaine per serving.